Marlborough Town Council
 01672 512487 09:00-16:30 Mon-Fri

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Marlborough Town Council
Tel: 
01672 512487 
  E-mail us  5 High Street, Marlborough, SN8 1AA   Weekdays 10am-4pm

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Frees AvenueUsers of The Common will notice some tree felling and other tree surgery taking place over the coming weeks. These trees help to form the historic landscape of this wonderful piece of public open space, especially the impressive Horse Chestnut trees. However, there are some measures that we are having to take both to protect the safety of the public and the overall health of the trees.

Background

All trees on Town Council-owned land are inspected every three years - we are responsible for about 1,500 in all. During this inspection they are examined by a qualified aboriculturalist and the overall health of the tree is assessed for what pest or disease might be present, and how vigorous the tree is when in leaf.

This can be assessed by simple visual indicators (leaf size and shape) or by more thorough investigation of suspected rot. A tree might look healthy to the untrained eye but might be rotting from the inside out or suffering from a root fungal infection which will cause sudden death. It's worth knowing too that there are tree pathogens/diseases that are ever present in the soil, waiting for an opportunity to attack a weaker tree.

On The Common there is Dutch Elm Disease and Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner. Here's some information about them:

Dutch Elm Disease is spread by a beetle which flies at a certain height above ground and when it encounters an Elm at this height it bores into the wood and lays eggs. The beetle and its eggs are covered with Dutch Elm Disease (a fungus) which flourishes once introduced under the bark. This fungus then grows in the water carrying tissues of the Elm Tree, effectively killing it by blocking off its water supply. The fungus only grows in the parts of the tree above ground and does not affect the roots so, given time, the roots send up shoots again which grow to be trees. The whole cycle from infection to death, to re-infection of new trees, is about 17 years. So Elms never grow as tall as they once did and need frequent monitoring. New disease-resistant varieties are now available for fresh planting.

Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner is an insect that buries itself in the layer of cells in a leaf and then eats the inner tissues - a 'leaf miner'. It's not the only insect that does this but, it is one of the most voracious. The inner layers it eats are the photosynthesising area of the tree. A tree affected by this insect can see quite a drop in vigour, losing nearly 75% of what it should get from photosynthesis. The Horse Chestnut typically responds by flowering much more than normal. The insect does not kill the tree but, after many years of affecting it, weakens it significantly so that diseases already in the soil can attack and kill it. Effectively, the tree is starved until it is too weak to fight the fungal attack. Unfortunately, this is what is happening on The Common and why those trees weakened by years of leaf miner attack and in close proximity need to be felled - they have finally succumbed to fungal attack.

With both Dutch Elm Disease and Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner, we are faced with severely weakened trees that are now susceptible to sudden death and at risk of falling within a year.

The Town Council will be looking to replace some of the felled trees.

More information about trees is available at http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/

 

Calendar

Thu Jan 16 @10:00AM - 04:30PM
Family Hub
Fri Jan 17 @ 7:00PM - 06:00AM
Temporary road closure - A346 (part), 19:00-06:00
Sat Jan 18
Wrestling
Sat Jan 18 @ 7:00PM - 06:00AM
Temporary road closure - A346 (part), 19:00-06:00
Sat Jan 18 @ 7:00PM -
Jamie Cochrane
Sat Jan 18 @ 7:00PM - 06:00AM
Temporary road closure - A346 (part), 19:00-06:00
Sun Jan 19 @ 3:30PM - 06:00PM
Feria Chamber Orchestra New Year’s Concert
Sun Jan 19 @ 7:00PM - 06:00AM
Temporary road closure - A346 (part), 19:00-06:00
Sun Jan 19 @ 7:00PM - 06:00AM
Temporary road closure - A346 (part), 19:00-06:00
Mon Jan 20
Temporary Road Closure - Hyde Lane (part)
Mon Jan 20 @ 7:00PM - 06:00AM
Temporary road closure - A346 (part), 19:00-06:00
Mon Jan 20 @ 7:00PM - 09:00PM
Full Town Council Meeting

Listings

Now showing....

Now showing....
Catch a movie at Marlborough's state of the art cinema with licensed bar and cafe

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Rugby

Rugby
Watch Marlborough home games on The Common

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18 January - Jamie Cochrane

18 January - Jamie Cochrane
In concert at St Peter's

Jamie Cochrane plays works by Chopin, Ravel, Liszt and others. All proceeds and donations to the Trust’s Roof Appeal.

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18 January - Wrestling

18 January - Wrestling
At Marlborough Town Hall

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19 January - Feria Chamber Orchestra New Year’s Concert

19 January - Feria Chamber Orchestra New Year’s Concert
3.30-6.00 at St Peter's Church

Founded in 2023 and conducted by Stefan Hofkes, the 38 piece Feria Orchestra is a collaboration of professional and non-professional musicians and friends from Reading, Bristol and further afield. You-Chiung Lin, soloist for our January 2025 concert, is a pianist and chamber musician based in the UK.

Feria, meaning ‘Festival’ in Spanish, signifies celebration, and our aim is to inspire and entertain audiences through performing classical music in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

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2 February - Red Priest

2 February - Red Priest
At the Memorial Hall

Marlborough College Concert Series

The baroque quartet sensation

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The Merchant's House

The Merchant's House
Guided tours, museum and special events at this 17th Century historic house in Marlborough High Street. Reopens for House tours 1 March

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2 March - Sinfonia Smith Square

2 March - Sinfonia Smith Square
At the Memorial Hall

Marlborough College Concert Series

A hugely talented young ensemble whose performances are always theatrical

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Wilton Windmill

Wilton Windmill
The only operating windmill in Wessex

You can visit the site at any time - guided tours available on Sundays from Easter to the end of September

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22 June - Wayne Marshall

22 June - Wayne Marshall
At the Memorial Hall

Marlborough College Concert Series

Internationally renowned pianist

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21 August to 1 September - Giffords Circus

21 August to 1 September - Giffords Circus
At Marlborough Common

Giffords Circus is a vintage village green circus that tours the UK every summer. Giffords is much more than a Circus, it’s a magical nod to old fashioned circus with a glamorous twist

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25 to 28 September 2025 - LitFest

25 to 28 September 2025 - LitFest
Celebrate the best writing and books with events for all ages

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Further afield

Further afield
Search for events anywhere in Wiltshire

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What's on?

What's on?
Please see our calendar for more options

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